Galadria's Choice
by Clare
Summary: A pregnant Galadria faces a heartbreaking dilemma when the Spectral Knights encounter a cult who believe her child is cursed.
1. Galadria's Choice: Part One

**Galadria's Choice: Part One**

"Cryotek, are you busy?" Galadria called as she walked through the halls of New Valarak. "I need to talk to you about something." It had always been important for herself and Cryotek to have no secrets from each other and, now that they were married, that seemed more important than ever. Their feelings for each other, while largely unspoken, had always been clear for everyone to see and, shortly after the Spectral Knights returned home following their adventure in the Lost Shrine, they had finally "made it official".

Presently, she found him in the courtyard, an oily rag in his hand and the Lancer Cycle parked nearby. It reminded her that he had promised to help Ectar with the Lancer Cycle, but that wasn't what concerned her right now. She had important news, news that concerned him above all others. "Thank Prysmos I've found you," she said as she stepped outside. "There's something I need to tell you - if you're not too busy."

Cryotek shrugged, still holding the rag. "It can wait," he told his young wife, wondering what she was going to say. "What's up?"

Galadria looked down at the flagstones beneath her feet. Why, she asked herself, was this so hard to put into words? She knew exactly what she wanted to say, but actually saying it was another matter. "I - I'm not sure," she said, stalling for time. "But it could have been up for a few weeks, possibly since the night after we escaped from the Lost Shrine . . ."

"What are you talking about? What's probably been up since that night?" Cryotek still shuddered when he thought of the ordeal Galadria, Arzon and Feryl had suffered as slaves in the Lost Shrine - and how she, the woman he loved, had almost died from the effects of the deadly Crystals of Power. It was only thanks to a string of good fortune (and some quick thinking on Leoric's part) that she had survived. Cryotek crossed the courtyard and rested his hand on Galadria's shoulder.

Galadria paused before deciding to tell him outright what she suspected. "Like I said, I'm not absolutely certain," she said. "But I _think_ I'm pregnant."

The last word took a moment to register in Cryotek's mind and he spent another moment wondering if he had heard her correctly. A slight nod from Galadria told him he had and, if it was true, this would be the first child born into the Circle of Light. "And probably not the last," he thought to himself. Leoric had recently announced his engagement to Fletchen, while Feryl had lately been spending a lot of time with a pretty former slave named Casiusa . . .

In the end, never one for expressing feelings in words, he flung his arms round Galadria and drew her close to him. She laughed slightly as her feet left the floor for a moment. These "bear hugs", as she called them, were his way of showing affection. And, sometimes, when the two of them were alone together, they developed into something far more intimate; Cryotek, for all his brusqueness, was very fond of Galadria and, whenever he made love to her, he did so with a tenderness that belied his strength.

At length, she began to complain of feeling dizzy and he had to put her down. "What are you going to tell the others?"

Her only response was a smile. "They'll know soon enough," she replied.

Neither of them noticed the unusually large Beetle that was perched on a nearby ledge. Except it wasn't really a Beetle; it was Mortdredd in his Totem form. Darkstorm had sent him, as he often did with his followers, to eavesdrop on the Spectral Knights in the hope of learning something he could use against his enemies. And, when he heard what Galadria and Cryotek were talking about, he quickly scurried off the ledge and, changing back into his human form, headed back to where he had hidden the Sky-Claw. As he climbed aboard and started the vehicle's engine, he smirked to himself; this news would be of great interest to Darkstorm.

* * *

That night, Galadria had a bizarre dream. She found herself hovering above her home city of Androsia as it had looked on the day a great tidal wave engulfed it. She saw the people going about their business among the beautiful white buildings, unaware that the wave of death was about to wash over them. Galadria shuddered; there were few things on Prysmos she hated more than tidal waves, largely because of the great personal loss she had suffered as a result of the one which hit Androsia . . .

In a park near the beach, she spotted a young family sitting in the picnic area - a man and woman only a few years older than Galadria's current age and their two small daughters. She did a double take when she saw the woman; the latter looked so like Galadria that it was like looking into a mirror. But there were subtle differences too. The woman's hair was slightly shorter than Galadria's and her eyes were green instead of blue. In that moment, Galadria knew she was seeing her own family - her parents, Maron and Giara, her little sister, Yerin and herself at the age of six - as they had been on that fateful day. The younger Galadria and her sister, wearing simple summer dresses, were chasing each other round the park, giggling and shouting as their parents looked on. None of them seemed to be aware of the impending doom.

Suddenly, Giara glanced in the direction of the sea. "Waves are unusually high," she observed.

Maron looked, then did a double take. "That's not just a high wave!" he said with an edge of panic in his voice. "Galadria, Yerin, come! We've got to get to high ground!"

Galadria watched with horror as the scene unfolded. She saw the wave rear up out of the sea as her family fought desperately to outrun it. She heard the frightened screams of the two children as they caught the sense of panic around them; to them, the wave must have seemed like a giant monster out to get them. She watched as her family, along with many other citizens of Androsia reached the nearest safety tower (the tall structures designed to keep people safe in the event of a tidal wave) and watched as they ran up the long spiral staircase, shouting and jostling in the panic. In all the confusion, Maron became separated from his wife and daughters.

"Giara!" he called out helplessly as he found the path to his family blocked by a mob of people.

"Maron!" she called back, holding onto Yerin with one hand and reaching out to him with the other. "Hold on!"

But, seconds later, the wave struck the tower, instantly engulfing everyone who was less than halfway up the stairs. This included Maron, who was caught in the deluge and swept clear as he tried in vain to keep his balance. "No!" the young Galadria screamed, unable to do anything except watch helplessly as the wave took her father. The look on the child's face as the wave engulfed the man who represented safety and security in her life conveyed fear, pure primordal fear of the forces which caused this devastation . . .

* * *

As the scene faded, Galadria - the adult Galadria - found herself standing in the middle of a deserted field, one which looked like no place she had ever seen in her life. It was dark and eerie, with no sign of life as far as she could see; both the sky and the ground beneath her feet were grey, plain grey. What was this place? Why was it so . . . dark? And why couldn't she see anyone else? Her heart pounded as she started calling names at random, hoping someone would reply. "Cryotek?" she called, her voice sounding unusually small in the silence. "Arzon? Lexor?" She did not care who heard her; in this bleak landscape, she would even be glad to see one of the Darkling Lords.

Then, she did see someone, a man. But it wasn't one of her fellow Visionaries; it was . . . She could hardly believe what she was seeing. Maron stood beside her, looking exactly as he had when he died - he even wore exactly the same clothes. "Hello, Gladdie," he said, a smiled etched on his face.

"F - Father?" Galadria stammered, too stunned to register the use of the nickname Maron had called her when she was small. "W - where am I?"

"It is a place where the dead and the living meet," replied Maron, not moving from where he stood. "Ever since the day my mortal life ended, I've watched over you in spirit, seen you grow into a beautiful woman . . ." He paused and sighed. "My only regret is that I was taken from you when you were so young, not much more than a baby, and that I'll never see my grandchild." He turned his eyes in the direction of Galadria's lower torso. "But that's not why I brought you here," he added.

"What . . . what is it?" Galadria felt confused and frightened; some deep instinct told her that whatever he was about to say was going to be bad.

Maron looked at his daughter gravely. "Galadria," he said, using her full name instead of the affectionate Gladdie, "There is trouble brewing for you and your friends. You will soon have to make a difficult choice . . ."

"Why, Father!" Galadria asked desperately. "What's happening!"

* * *

At this point, Galadria opened her eyes to find that Cryotek had been shaking her awake. "You were talking in your sleep," he told her, embracing her as she broke down in tears. She felt tiny and fragile in his arms, her body shaking as she cried on his strong shoulder. But what could be wrong with her? Galadria wasn't the sort of person to start crying for no reason; she was normally a very courageous young woman. Yet something seemed to have upset her - and he suspected that it was more than just pregnancy hormones running riot.

"Cryotek," Galadria finally said between sobs, "I . . . I . . ." But, before she could the words she wanted to say out, the door opened with a click. Brushing at her eyes, she looked up to see Feryl standing in the doorway. "Doesn't anyone knock around here?"

Feryl ignored her. "What's going on in here?" he asked, clearly still half-asleep. "It's three o'clock in the morning . . ."

"Nothing, Feryl," Cryotek replied shortly. He had little doubt as to what had brought Feryl in here, but he was not in the mood to discuss it with anyone right now. "She's feeling a little tense - that's all. You go back to bed; I'll handle this."

"But . . ." Feryl started to say. Then, realising Cryotek and Galadria clearly wanted to be alone, he hurriedly withdrew, frowning to himself as he headed back to his own quarters. Something told him that whatever Galadria's problem was, it was more than just tension . . . No sooner had Feryl left - forgetting to shut the door behind him - than Arzon appeared. He had been doing the late-night shift on guard duty and was still in his armour, although he was not carrying his weapon or his Power Staff. They had both been stashed in the armoury.

"Now what?" asked Cryotek, annoyed at having two intrusions in as many minutes. He groaned and sat up to look at the younger knight. Both Arzon and Feryl were inclined to be a little hot-headed at times, but Cryotek generally put that down to their youth; they were the only Spectral Knights younger than Galadria. And he still had to get to the bottom of Galadria's strange outburst, a task not made any easier by constant interuptions.

"Merklynn wants to see both of you - he's in the Conference Chamber," Arzon replied.

"What does he want?" Galadria asked, her mind filled with forebodings. After her strange vision of Maron and his warning about her having to make a "difficult choice", she felt afraid both for herself and for her unborn child. And the news that Merklynn was actually in New Valarak, especially at this late hour, added to her concerns.

Arzon shrugged. "I don't know. But whatever it is has to be important; you know he doesn't call on us for the sake of it. You two go on - I'll wake Leoric for his shift."

* * *

"You wanted to see us?" asked Galadria, taking a seat at the table in the Conference Chamber. Cryotek stood behind her as Merklynn looked the two knights full in the face, his expression conveying concerned sorrow.

"I did," the wizard replied. "On a matter of some urgency. Are either of you familiar with the Fellowship?" Cryotek and Galadria shook their heads. "They're a religious order," Merklynn explained. "They believe they - and only they - have the power to restore the Age of Technology. Which, as you both know, is a foolish notion - the Age of Technology will return in time, but not in the lifetime of any mortal now living."

"That's all well and good," Cryotek cut in. "But what does it have to do with us?"

"There is trouble stirring within the Fellowship." Merklynn pointed to the table top and a scene appeared on the wood, a scene showing several men and women in plain grey robes. They were all kneeling before a vast structure which Cryotek and Galadria immediately recognised as a former power plant, its generators permanently idle, its structure decaying. "And . . ."

"Let me guess - Darkstorm, right?" filled in Galadria. It was just like the leader of the Darkling Lords to deliberately stir up trouble and try to get others to do his dirty work for him. On more than more occasion, he had tricked people into siding with him against the Spectral Knights, his usual approach being to convince them that he was saving them from an "evil" enemy. Darkstorm was a master manipulator - it was mainly thanks to the bungling of his minions that he had been kept in check for so long. And, if he fell in with a religious order, there was no telling how much trouble he could cause.

"I fear it is so," Merklynn said in reply to Galadria's question. "The Darkling Lords entered the Fellowship yesterday, claiming that they had foreseen the birth of a child who will destroy all. Your child," he added with a pointed look at the young woman. "Your conversation in the courtyard was overheard - and by one who would seek to use it against you."

Galadria was confused - and frightened. Maron's words, his warning about the choice she would have to make, echoed in her head as she stared down at her hands. But surely even Darkstorm wouldn't wilfully condemn an unborn child, even if its parents were his enemies. On the other hand, he was the sort who would try just about anything to rid himself of the Spectral Knights . . .

"What do you mean?" she asked at length, trying to keep her voice even. "Merklynn, why are you telling us this?"

Merklynn furrowed his brow. "I am telling you this because the Fellowship are dangerous, especially with the Darkling Lords on their side. They will try to capture you so that both you and your child may be slain. And that means your presence in New Valarak will endanger all the Spectral Knights . . ."

Galadria looked at the wizard aghast. Just hours ago, she had broken the news of her pregnancy to Cryotek and everything had seemed so perfect then. Now, however, she faced an uncertain future; no matter where she went on Prysmos, the Fellowship would seek her out. The only answer seemed to be for her to leave New Valarak, as Feryl had once done, and put as much distance as possible between herself and her friends. But how long could she last on her own, especially given her current circumstances?

Merklynn clearly saw the despair on her face for he quickly added: "I shall send word to the people of Androsia, tell them you will be visiting for a while - alone. While there, you will be protected by an ancient magic which will conceal you from all enemies, but only if you agree to leave your child behind once it is born."

Galadria, seeing the wisdom in his words, nodded reluctantly. She hated the thought of giving up her own child, but, from what she had heard about the Fellowship, they would not rest until they had disposed of both it and her. It was safer for her to follow Merklynn's plan, even if it broke her heart to do so. "All right," she said, her voice barely audible. "I'll leave as soon as I can."

But little did she know that the Darkling Lords and the Fellowship were already several steps ahead of her . . .

* * *

They made their move the following day, a day which began pretty much like any other. Ectar and Witterquick were out in the Lancer Cycle, leaving the other Spectral Knights to deal with the day-to-day running of the city. The morning passed peacefully, with no sign of any serious trouble, and the only time Leoric was called out was to mediate in an argument between two elderly spinsters, one of whom accused the other of failing to return several borrowed items. On the whole, it seemed as though today would a relatively ordinary day - or as ordinary as a day could get on a planet where magic was more powerful than science.

Feryl had promised to sort through a pile of paperwork, which mostly consisted of minutes from past Council meetings. Leoric had mentioned a few days ago that several papers still needed to be filed from before the adventure in the Lost Shrine and Feryl had quickly volunteered. He had nothing else to do today and this would at least help the time pass. But he soon found that loose papers had a habit of getting into any order except the right one. As if to defy him . . .

"Drat!" he cursed as he dropped a thick pile all over the floor. He quickly got down on his hands and knees and tried to gather up as many of the errant sheets as he could. "What was I thinking?" he muttered to himself as he picked up four more sheets and sat gazing at them for a few moments. But he was not reading what was written on them; his mind had drifted back to the strange situation which seemed to be developing with Cryotek and Galadria.

"Feryl?" It was Casiusa, the young woman he had befriended while they were prisoners together in the Lost Shrine.

Distracted from his thoughts, Feryl staggered to his feet, still holding the papers he had picked up. "Oh, Casiusa," he said, struggling to ignore the faint trace of embarrassment he could feel. He had been feeling that way a lot lately; just being near Casiusa made him awkward and unsure. Often, he would find himself wanting to talk to her but unable to put what he wanted to say in words. It was not shyness - that was not in Feryl's nature - but, rather, an uncertainty regarding how to behave around a female who was fast becoming more than just a friend.

But, on this occasion, he was saved from too much embarrassment by the loud blast of a bugle from out on the ramparts. The instant he heard it, he responded as he and all the Spectral Knights had been trained to. "That's the attack signal," he told Casiusa, grabbing his dagger from the table where he had left it. "I have to go - this lot'll have to wait." He nodded in the direction of the scattered papers and hurried out the door.

* * *

The Spectral Knights gathered on the ramparts, watching as the Darkling Lords approached New Valarak on foot and - seemingly - unarmed. But there was no telling with Darkstorm and his followers; they had tricked the Spectral Knights on more than one previous occasion, often leading to a great deal of trouble and inconvenience. And, for Galadria, their appearance was especially unwelcome after Merklynn's warning - she had hoped there would be at least a few days for her to make plans for her escape . . .

Leoric, unaware of Galadria's situation and thinking this was just another attempted invasion, called down his challenge. "Halt! State your business!"

If Darkstorm could be said to have any redeeming features, it was his ability to turn on the charm. It was a skill he often used when he wanted to trick people into attacking the Spectral Knights, even though the people concerned invariably saw through his lies and ended up turning on the Darkling Lords instead. But he was such a megalomaniac, so sure that his approach was the right one, that it never occured to him to try anything else. "Very amusing, Leoric," he said. "My "business" as you put it is . . ."

"Just say what you want and begone!" cut in Feryl, never one to mince his words when it came to Darkling Lords.

Darkstorm ignored the interuption. " . . . has to do with Galadria," he went on as if Feryl hadn't spoken. "We have someone here who's very interested in meeting her. Cravex?" he added, turned to the quick-tempered Darkling Lord who grinned evilly as he understood what Darkstorm wanted him to do. Seconds later, a Phylot was flying towards the assembled Spectral Knights . . .

Mass confusion erupted. Arzon, realising Cravex (for that, of course, was who the Phylot was) was flying straight at Galadria, acted instinctively. He quickly assumed his Eagle form and flew up to fend off the flying reptile. His intention was to buy his fellow Spectral Knights a few moments, enough time for them to get to the Capture Chariot, but Darkstorm was ready for such a move. Before anyone could stop him, he flashed a thumbs-up signal. It was completely unexpected. All seven Darkling Lords were present, so who could Darkstorm be signalling? Whoever it was, Leoric knew it could mean trouble.

Seconds later, he was proved right. A stone hurtled through the air, catching Arzon on the head and knocking him flying, jolting him out of his Totem form in the process. In response, Leoric, Cryotek and Feryl leapt off the wall to make sure their friend was all right, leaving Galadria to fend Cravex off by herself. She slashed at the Phylot form of the volatile Darkling Lord with her trident head, driven by a deep instinct shared by nearly all females, the desire to protect the next generation. Her life and that of her unborn child depended on the outcome of this fight.

* * *

"Arzon, are you all right?" Feryl asked, kneeling beside his friend.

Arzon groaned but managed to sit up. "Yes," he replied with a slight smiled. "But we'd better . . ." He was cut off abruptly as a cloud of smoke suddenly obscured everyone's view. Thick and black, there was no telling where it had come from, but it made it impossible for any of the four knights to see what was happening. Consequently, none of them saw the moment Cravex, still in his Phylot form, defeated Galadria and took off into the sky, carrying her in his talons like a prize.


	2. Galadria's Choice: Part Two

**Galadria's Choice: Part Two**

The Spectral Knights rarely argued amongst themselves, but this looked like being one of those occasions when they did.

Currently, the six male members of the team were in the main Council Chamber, trying to solve the mystery of what had just happened. As soon as the smoke had dispersed, it became clear that they had another crisis on their hands - Galadria was missing and they had no way of telling where she was, only a well-founded suspicion that the Darkling Lords were somehow mixed up in it. Indeed, Leoric's first thought on noticing that she was gone was that she had been taken to Castle Darkstorm, presumably as bait in some trap; Darkstorm had used Spectral Knights in this way before. But Arzon, though he had scouted the Castle from the air, had reported no sign of the Darkling Lords or of Galadria. "They must have her somewhere else," he had said.

But where? That was what the six of them were trying to figure out, without much success. Then, Cryotek vented his frustration at the whole situation on Leoric, who - he admitted later - deserved it least of all. "You call yourself our leader!" he had demanded hotly. "You don't even . . ."

Leoric tried to calm him down. Cryotek could be rather short-tempered at times, but, aside from an "episode" with Cravex's Totem, he did not usually attack his fellow Spectral Knights, verbally or physically. Maybe the fact that his wife was missing, presumably kidnapped, was putting him on edge; Leoric knew he would feel the same should anything happen to Fletchen. Even so . . . "We're all worried, Cryotek," he said. "But we won't solve anything by yelling at each other."

But, for all the good his words did, Leoric may as well have stayed silent. His followers were soon bickering heatedly, each trying to blame Galadria's capture on one of the others. Confusion reigned for several minutes, making it virtually impossible to tell who was saying what or who was arguing with whom. Finally, Leoric could take no more; Galadria could be in danger and, instead of working out a plan to rescue her, the other Spectral Knights were wasting time on blame-laying and name-calling.

"Quiet, all of you!" he ordered, his voice - rarely raised in anger - cutting through the commotion and shocking his comrades into silence. "Thank you," he added. "Now, let's discuss this _properly_. Cryotek, you first."

Cryotek turned to face his leader, feeling decidedly embarrassed at his outburst. He coughed, trying to compose his thoughts. "Sorry, Leoric," he said finally. "Guess I'm a little on edge. You see, it's not just Galadria I'm concerned about . . ."

Leoric studied his friend closely. There was something about his tone of voice, especially when he said he wasn't only concerned about Galadria. Cryotek could be a little reserved at times, not given to discussing personal feelings with anyone, but it was clear that something was troubling him. But what? Leoric was reluctant to press for answers, but he knew that was the only way they would find out what was going on. "Cryotek?"

Cryotek sighed. "I guess you might as well know," he told his fellow Spectral Knights.

* * *

Gradually, the full story emerged. Galadria was pregnant, but an occasion which should have been a cause for celebration had been marred by dire news from Merklynn. Darkstorm had, it seemed, found out and had decided to use it against the Spectral Knights. That explained their appearance outside New Valarak, but it failed to explain where they had take her . . .

"The Fellowship!" Cryotek muttered bitterly, his fists clenched.

"Who?" This question came from Feryl, who was standing to Cryotek's right.

"The Fellowship!" Cryotek said again. "Those . . . heaps of phylot dung are working with Darkstorm! And he's convinced them that Galadria is carrying the spawn of evil!" He pounded the table in front of him, imagining as he did so that he was punching Darkstorm in the face. And the other Spectral Knights, seeing how close to losing it he was, knew that this was serious. They had to find out more about the Fellowship - and fast. And there was only one way to do that . . .

"Arzon," Leoric said, turning to the young knight, "summon the Bearer of Knowledge - he'll know who this Fellowship is."

"Sure." Arzon hurried out of the room, returning moments later with his Power Staff in his hands. Then, he held it at arm's length as he recited the magic words which activated it:

"A whim, a thought and more is sought  
Awake, my mind, thy will be wrought."

Seconds later, the torso of a male humanoid emerged from the Staff, hovering above the Spectral Knights' head. "Did you know there are fifteen planets in our solar system?" he asked in a rich booming voice. "And all had been explored by Prysmosians by . . ."

"Thank you, Bearer of Knowledge," Arzon said, trying not to laugh. This had happened before, the Bearer of Knowledge emerging from his Staff armed with a piece of useless information. And it always seemed to happen right when Arzon needed him to say something relevent to the situation at hand. "I don't need an astronomy lesson. What I . . . we wanted to know is who the Fellowship are and where have they taken Galadria?"

"Hmm . . . the Fellowship. Well . . ." And, with that, the Bearer of Knowledge began to explain the Fellowship and their beliefs, their conviction that they had the power to restore the Age of Technology. Cryotek, of course, had heard all this before, but the others hadn't so they listened carefully, waiting for some mention of where the Fellowship had their base of operations. When this information wasn't forthcoming after five minutes, Arzon decided it was time for a prompt.

"All right," he said. "You've told us all you know about the Fellowship. Now, where are they?" Normally even-tempered, he was starting to lose patience; the life of a comrade could be in danger and they were wasting time here, time Galadria could ill afford to lose.

The Bearer of Knowledge paused for a moment. "You shall find them at the old power plant, ten miles east of Jidaja. And, now, my time has come to leave you." With that, he faded into nothingness, his task of imparting information done, the power of Arzon's Staff spent.

* * *

The first thing Galadria was aware of when she woke up was a pounding headache.

She struggled to get up, only to find that she couldn't. And, when she had recovered sufficiently to open her eyes, she immediately saw why - someone had chained her to a post. Someone had captured her. But who? And why? She thought back over the events of the last few hours, but it was all a blur, an indistinct hotchpotch of scenes. She remembered the Darkling Lords outside New Valarak, then Cravex flying at her, but whatever had happened after that was a blank. So she had clearly been knocked out before being brought to this place, but where was she?

But she had no time to think about this before a door swung open and a crowd of people marched in, the Darkling Lords among them. Darkstorm, at the head of his followers, bore an expression of smug satisfaction which gave Galadria a strong sense of foreboding; if Darkstorm was so happy, it could only mean trouble for her. And those suspicions were borne out moments later when the rest of the crowd simultaneously pulled up the cowled hoods on the grey robes they all wore. She had fallen into the hands of the Fellowship!

An older man who seemed to be their leader stepped forward, raising his arms and holding aloft something Galadria recognised as an old microphone. "People of the Fellowship!" he declared in a thin but imperious voice. "You see before you a woman who will bring harm to all of us! A woman pregnant with a child who will doom us all! I ask you now - what shall we do with her!"

"Sacrifice!" came the answer, in a voice which sounded suspiciously like Virulina's. And the cry was swiftly taken up by the rest of the crowd.

"Sacrifice! Sacrifice! Sacrifice!"

* * *

Just when all seemed lost, two blue-grey balls of energy were suddenly fired into the crowd, forcing them to scatter. The entire Fellowship watched with open mouths as they saw two pods hovering overhead, each piloted by a young knight. What kind of sorcery was this? Only they could restore technology to Prysmos, so, whoever these knights were, they had to be as evil as the woman they had captured. Somehow, they had to be stopped . . .

Galadria, meanwhile, had recognised Arzon and Feryl at the controls of the Hover Pods and instinctively knew that she had to warn them away. This was a dangerous place, especially since the Darkling Lords had the Fellowship on their side. And Darkstorm seemed decidedly annoyed at this intrusion; it took all his self-control to issue orders to his followers, currently lurking in the midst of the Fellowship. "Cravex!" Galadria heard him shout. "Deal with those young pests!" He gestured towards Arzon and Feryl, who were now circling around in the Hover Pods.

"If anyone's going to be "dealt with", it's you, Darkstorm!"

It was Ectar, who had just shapeshifted out of his Fox form while Arzon and Feryl created a diversion. Darkstorm's expression was a mixture of disbelief and fury as, elsewhere in the crowd, Leoric, Cryotek and Witterquick also reverted to human form. Weapons drawn, the four knights ran forward, placing themselves between Galadria and her captors. "Let her go!" Leoric ordered in a tone few would have dared to defy. And anyone foolish enough to try would soon realise the seriousness of their mistake.

But Darkstorm had anticipated this; he knew Leoric well enough to know that the Spectral Knight would never abandon someone in need of help, especially not a fellow Spectral Knight. He quickly moved on to the next phase of his plan. "So?" he said, smiling evilly. "The brave Leoric wishes to challenge the might of the Fellowship? He wishes to allow the birth of a child who will bring doom to all!" The last words were addressed to the members of the Fellowship. "Then he is as evil as this woman!" He gestured towards Galadria, still chained to the post and beginning to lose the faint shred of hope she had had since the Spectral Knights first appeared on the scene.

Just then, Cravex appeared, forcing Feryl to walk ahead of him. The young knight's hands were tied in front of him and the reason for this became clear as Cravex made his report to Darkstorm. "Got one, Darkstorm! Arzon got away, but I . . ."

"Good work, Cravex," Darkstorm said, cutting across his volatile follower. Cravex scowled but made no comment as Darkstorm turned to address the Fellowship. "So, it seems nearly all those who would destroy you have been caught." Loud cheers erupted as he gestured towards the Spectral Knights. "We should give praise and, to show that we wish to purge Prysmos of evil, this cursed wench shall die!" He beckoned to four men in the crowd. "You four, bind her companions so they cannot interfere," he ordered. He turned to the old leader. "Sulos, would you do the honours?"

But, before any of the five men could make a move, a voice was heard from the crowd. "No! Wait!" Everyone turned to see that it was a young girl, barely into her teens, who had spoken out. She was slender, with brown hair framing an oval face, the hood on her grey robes thrown back. "Sulos, you can't!" she pleaded, ignoring the wave of muttering from the rest of the Fellowship. "You can't kill a mother and child - it's forbidden!"

"He can if the child is the spawn of evil!" retorted Darkstorm.

But Sulos shook his head. "Not if another sacrifice can be found within one hour." He walked towards Galadria and, pulling a key out from under his robes, proceeded to unchain. "Your life and that of your child shall be spared," he told her. "But only if you are prepared to sacrifice one of your friends instead."

* * *

"I can't do it, Leoric! I can't condemn my friends!" Galadria was sobbing with fear and despair; there was no way she could save herself if it meant one of her fellow Spectral Knights had to die. "I saw my father - in a vision," she finally choked out. "He . . . he said I would have to make a difficult choice, but I never dreamed it would mean _this_!"

"Listen, Galadria," Leoric told her firmly. If it had been an option, he would have volunteered his own life rather than see a fellow Spectral Knight condemned. But Sulos had made it clear that the decision had to be Galadria's and only Galadria's. "I'd feel the same if I had to decide between myself or one of you. But I would do what I had to for the good of all the Spectral Knights . . . "

"What . . . what would you do, Leoric?"

But, before Leoric could reply, two men from the Fellowship approached the Spectral Knights, their cowled hoods pulled over their heads. "I fear your time is up," one of them told Galadria, pulling her away from her fellow Spectral Knights. With that, he tied her hands behind her back and began to lead her away. Galadria was overwhelmed with a feeling of despair unlike anything she had felt before, a sense of hopelessness worse even than the day she, Arzon and Feryl had witnessed their fellow Spectral Knights being sealed into a cave and left to die. She had been unable to make the choice between herself and her friends and now she and her child were about to pay with their lives . . .

As she was led away, she heard Darkstorm's voice saying: "Confine her friends so they can't interfere!"

* * *

"Leoric, we've got to do something!"

Feryl was pacing the floor in the room where he and his fellow Spectral Knights had been imprisoned on Darkstorm's orders. This room had once served as office facilities for the staff at the power plant and evidence of its previous use was still present. Broken down computers still stood on every desk, the data they contained forever locked from the moment of the Cataclysm. Indeed, a casual glance would have revealed nothing untoward (aside from the fact that nothing technological worked) but the entire room was covered in layers of dust. "Doesn't look like anyone's been in here since the Alignment," Ectar remarked, tracing a line in the dust with his finger.

"Did anyone hear what I said!" demanded Feryl, looking at each of his friends in turn. He was not about to give up; the life of a friend was in danger and his sense of duty would not let him stand by and do nothing. Somehow, they had to find a way out of here . . .

"Feryl's right," Witterquick said suddenly. He walked over to the window, and looked out; down below, he could see the Fellowship assembled before the Darkling Lords, who had the chained Galadria in their midst. "We can't let Darkstorm get away with this! If he's got the Fellowship working for him, any of us could be next!"

But, for the life of him, he couldn't think how they were going to get out of here. And, even if they could, Darkstorm had their weapons and Power Staffs, which meant the odds of their getting Galadria away from here were . . . Witterquick's thoughts were interupted by the sound of a key being used to unlock the door, which, seconds later, opened to reveal the Fellowship girl who had spoken up earlier standing in the corridor, an urgent expression etched on her face. "Quick!" she urged. "There's not much time! Your friend, Arzon, managed to lure the guard away - some knight with a picture of a gorilla on his chest."

The Spectral Knights exchanged glances, each of them thinking the same thing. There was only one person on Prysmos who fit the girl's description - Cindarr. And he was slowed-witted enough to fall for whatever ruse Arzon had come up with.

"Thanks," Witterquick said as he and his fellow Spectral Knights followed the girl out into the corridor. "Where is Arzon, anyway?"

"Getting your Staffs and weapons." The girl nodded in the direction of a side corridor, then turned to look at the Spectral Knights.

* * *

As she awaited to her doom, Galadria felt an odd sense of peace; she no longer feared death and the tears she had shed had been for her unborn child. If only she had been able to make the choice Sulos had asked her to make, she would now be free. But it would have been at the expense of one of her fellow Spectral Knights and she knew she would never be able to live with herself under those circumstances.

Sulos, flanked by the Darkling Lords, was waiting for her at the gallows - her eyes were drawn to the noose despite her attempts to avert them. The assembled crowd watched with baited breath as Sulos took her hand and led her towards the platform; few could believe such an attractive young woman could be evil, but Darkstorm had given them his word. . . Everything seemed to happen at once. Sulos had blindfolded Galadria and placed the noose round her neck - Galadria herself was bracing herself for the final jerk, trying to focus her mind on her fellow Spectral Knights so that her last thoughts would be of them.

Darkstorm grew impatient. "String her up, Sulos, and be done with it!" he ordered.

But, even as Sulos pulled the lever and Galadria fell through the trapdoor, Feryl barged through the crowd until he stood at the foot of the gallows. Before anyone could stop him, he fired a bolt of energy from his dagger, which burnt through the rope holding Galadria and sent her plunging to the ground under the gallows. "Now, Arzon!" Feryl called, hurriedly assuming his Wolf form and disappearing before the Darkling Lords could react.

* * *

"Stop them!" yelled Darkstorm as Arzon swooped down in his Eagle form and carried Galadria over the heads of the astounded Fellowship. This was not working out as he had planned. Those infernal Spectral Knights were, once again, making him look like a fool - and how had they managed to escape anyway? Had that stupid dolt Cindarr let them out? If so, he was in for _big_ trouble . . . Darkstorm sometimes wondered why he bothered keeping Cindarr on his team - true, he was the strongest of the Darkling Lords, but his intelligence left a lot to be desired.

But, moments later, the Darkling Lords found themselves surrounded by Spectral Knights, all of whom had their weapons raised ready to attack. "I think you'll find they're out of your reach," Ectar informed them, nodding in the direction Arzon had flown with Galadria. The pair were still visible, but only just . . .

"Not if I can help it!" retorted Cravex, assuming his Phylot form and flying after Galadria and Arzon. He was swiftly followed by Mortdredd, who boarded the Sky-Claw and took to the air in hot pursuit, smiling to himself as he did so; if he succeeded in bringing down Arzon and Galadria, Darkstorm was sure to reward him handsomely. Then again, Mortdredd was blindly loyal to Darkstorm and would have gone after the two Spectral Knights anyway if he thought doing so would please his leader . . . With slow deliberation, he pressed a button on the Sky-Claw's control panel; seconds later, a large winged creature materialised from the vehicle and took off after Galadria and Arzon.

But Mortdredd's moment of triumph was not to be; before the creature could attack, it was hit by two balls of blue fire and vanished instantly. Glancing in the direction the fire had come from, Mortdredd saw Cryotek and Feryl gaining on him in the hover-pods. As the two Spectral Knights drew level with each other, Cryotek flashed a quick thumbs-up signal to Feryl. "You take this toady," he told the younger knight. "I'll deal with Cravex!"

Feryl did not need telling twice. He leapt from the hover-pod onto the Sky-Claw, intent on bringing the vehicle down before Mortdredd could present too much of a problem. Mortdredd, meanwhile, seemed unaware that he had picked up a passenger as he steered the vehicle in the direction Arzon had flown with Galadria. It was what Feryl had hoped would happen and, before Mortdredd realised what was happening, he whipped out his dagger and focused its magical energy in a bid to disrupt the vehicle's circuits and bring it down.

* * *

It did not take long for Mortdredd to realise something was wrong. Something was sending the Sky-Claw out of control - the vehicle was in danger of crashing. And, no matter how hard he pulled back, he could not regain control. The source of the problem became clear when he glanced round and saw Feryl directly behind him, the latter's dagger glowing with magical energy, energy which was disrupting the Sky-Claw's circuits . . .

"AAAAHHHHHH! Get away from there!" Mortdredd yelled as he realised what Feryl was trying to do.

But Feryl's only response was to shoot Mortdredd a triumphant smile. "You're going down, Mortdredd!" he told his enemy.

"Oh no, Feryl!" Mortdredd retorted, still struggling to regain control. "You're the one who's going down!"

"Not if I can help it!" Feryl raised his glowing dagger above his head, then brought it down on the body of the Sky-Claw. Just as he had hoped, this disrupted the vehicle's circuits to the point where it was impossible for Mortdredd to maintain control, sending the craft on a collision course with the ground. Seconds before the inevitable happened, Feryl dived off the Sky-Claw, assuming his Wolf form as he did so, taking advantage of the creature's agility to land harmlessly on the ground.

Suppressing a wolfish grin as the Sky-Claw was brought down, Feryl hurried off to reinforce the rest of the Spectral Knights. There was little time to spare - somehow, the Spectral Knights had to not only defeat the Darkling Lords but also convince the Fellowship of the folly of trusting Darkstorm. Only then would Galadria and her child finally be safe from them . . .

"Good work, Feryl," Ectar said to the young knight as the latter reverted to human form. "But where's Cryotek?"

"Chasing after Cravex," Feryl replied grimly. He and Ectar were backed against each other, their weapons drawn ready for action, as were Leoric and Witterquick. The four knights were surrounded by members of the Fellowship, all of whom had their hoods pulled up and were chanting in unison. None of the Spectral Knights wanted to harm any of the Fellowship members, but, unless they could convince them of Darkstorm's evil . . .

Leoric raised his Power Staff. "People of the Fellowship!" he declared. "You cannot trust Darkstorm! He is using you for his own ends!"

"Prove it!" Darkstorm shot back. This had been his plan all along - to have the Fellowship capture Galadria so he could use her as bait in a trap for her fellow Spectral Knights. And Darkstorm was never one to pass up a chance to exploit human weaknesses; he was a master at manipulating people in order to achieve his goal, namely control of the Magical Light. Unfortunately, his plans never seemed to work out. Well, not this time . . .

Before anyone could stop him, he whipped out his Power Staff and began chanting the words which activated it:

"By what creeps, what crawls, by what does not  
Let all that grows recede and rot!"

* * *

Darkstorm's Demon of Decay emerged from its Staff and flew towards Leoric, its sole purpose to envelope the Spectral Knight and cause him to age rapidly. Leoric, who knew from past experience what the creature was capable of, quickly leapt out of the way, assuming his Lion form as he did so, and knocked Darkstorm off his feet. Deprived of its intended target, the Demon promptly turned on a random member of the crowd, the girl who had helped the Spectral Knights escape.

"Fania!" a woman cried out in horror as the Demon began to wrap its wings around the girl.

But, before the creature could do its deadly work, a double volley of energy blasts blew it to pieces, leaving the girl called Fania blinking in confusion but completely unharmed. Everyone in the crowd looked up to see Galadria and Cryotek flying overhead in the hover-pods, with Arzon following close behind in his Eagle form. "Need any help?" Cryotek called as he and Galadria drew level with their fellow Spectral Knights.

Leoric swiftly reverted to his human form but kept a close eye on Darkstorm in case the Darkling Lord tried something. "Now do you see?" he asked the Fellowship. "The woman you condemned as carrying the spawn of evil just saved one of you - and from the power of Darkstorm's Staff!" Glancing at the Fellowship, he could see expressions of doubt on several of their faces; clearly, Galadria and Cryotek's actions had given them something to think about.

At length, Sulos stepped forward and stood face-to-face with Darkstorm. "Darkstorm," he said levelly, drawing himself up to his full height, "you came to us claiming you could protect us from a dangerous enemy. But I now see that the enemy is you . . ." He paused. "You will take your knights and leave this place!"

"And what if I were to refuse?" Darkstorm was determined to make it clear he wasn't beaten yet.

"Then we will fight you!" Sulos declared. "All of us! And we will make sure you never desecrate our territory ever again!" And, to show that he meant business, he nodded towards his people, several of whom whipped out weapons they had concealed under their robes. Blades glinted in the light of the Three Suns as the Fellowship started to advance on the Darkling Lords . . . Darkstorm quickly realised that his knights were outnumbered; they wouldn't stand a chance against so many, even with their magical abilities. Not for the first time, he was forced into an undignified retreat, his plans to rid himself of the Spectral Knights thwarted. And, as the Darkling Lords disappeared over the horizon, his parting words were:

"You win this round, Spectral Knights! But don't think you've won the war!"


End file.
